


Wizards are Jerks 3: Please Watch Over Me

by GeminiMoon14



Series: Wizards are Jerks Series [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Babies, Cute, Cute Kids, Explicit Language, Family Fluff, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Kid Fic, Sick Character, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27200950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeminiMoon14/pseuds/GeminiMoon14
Summary: The fact that this had happened for a third time established itself as some sort of punishment for something they had done. The universe is that vindictive. Now what were they supposed to do?! Whatever god they had pissed of had well established their point!
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett & The Mighty Nein, Caduceus C. & Fjord & Beauregard L. & Jester L. & Nott | Veth & Mollymauk T. & Caleb W. & Yasha, Fjord & The Mighty Nein, The Mighty Nein & Caleb Widogast, The Mighty Nein & Nott | Veth Brenatto
Series: Wizards are Jerks Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985752
Comments: 3
Kudos: 49





	Wizards are Jerks 3: Please Watch Over Me

The fact that this had happened for a third time established itself as some sort of punishment for something they had done. The universe  _ is  _ that vindictive. Now what were they supposed to do?! Whatever god they had pissed of had well established their point!

The truth is this: had they simply avoided taking jobs that dealt with magic users, they may not have to do this again. Unfortunately, The Mighty Nein had taken it upon themselves to rid the area of a mage that was using his power to terrorize a small village in the north. They had killed the wizard but not before he cast an, increasingly familiar, spell upon a particular few of them. At this point the remaining members began suspecting that The Traveler may be behind this.

As Beau, her robes pooling around her small frame, looked at their snow-covered surroundings she shrieked and called out, “It’s freezing!” Fjord was toppled over in the white flakes and attempting to squirm out of his armor and yelling, “Beau! I’m stuck!” Nott curled into a ball and whined as Caleb trudged over to the rest of the group.

Molly groaned and muttered a curse in Infernal as Jester rushed over, calling out, “I’m coming! Stay there!” Jester hoisted Fjord out of his armor, his shirt draping on the slender frame, and told him, “Get to the others while I get Nott.” Shivering, he ran towards the group as Jester pulled the little bundle of rags into her arms along with the human boy. Beau was already prepared as she darted into the arms of Yasha.

As soon as he reached the group, Caduceus pulled Fjord into his arms and wrapped his blanket around his shivering form. Molly pulled Nott into his arms as Jester arrived and asked her, “Can you call Essek? We need to get them out of here.” Jester nodded as she made the motions of her sending spell and told their friend, “Ok, Essek? We need help. There was an accident and we need to get back. Can you help? Doo doo do doo doo doo do…” 

Some of the kids laughed at Jester’s message as Essek’s voice sighed, “I’ll be there soon. Give me a moment.” She smiled just as a flash of light appeared near them and sent the kids into a small panic as Essek hovered above the snow. The drow brushed some snow off his cloak as he remarked, “I am here. What seems to be-” 

He stopped as he took in the sight of barely covered children in the arms of the remaining members of The Mighty Nein. Caduceus gave him a small smile as he stepped forward and told their ally, “We’d really appreciate it if you could help us back to our house. We’re in a bit of a situation here.” He nodded slowly as he looked at each child and told the firbolg, “I’ll see what I can do.”

As he went through the motions to cast his spell, the adults gathered the children and their belongings and told them to be ready. There was a flash and suddenly, they were standing outside the home they had made in Xorhas. The children clung tightly to their respective guardians as Essek asked, “Is everyone alright?” 

Beau, being as bold as she was, spoke first as she cried, “That was cool! We were in snow and now we’re at a house!” Yasha chuckled as Fjord murmured, “Thank you, Mister. It was really cold.” Essek paused as he turned to the adults and inquired, “What was it exactly that happened?” Jester smirked as she told him, “Come inside while we get them dressed and we’ll tell you  _ all _ about it.”

A few minutes later, Essek was seated in their dining room with The Mighty Nein. The children had been put into some clothing that fit them better than the clothes they wore as adults. Curious, Essek listened as Jester explained the spell used and told him of their previous encounters, leaving out certain details with the children present. 

The drow watched as Fjord ate quickly and joined Caduceus in feeding Nott, who was trying her best to snatch the spoon from his hands. Beau watched him just as carefully, her eyes narrowing into something that was not a glare but came close. Caleb tucked himself beneath her arm as she asked, mouth filled with stew, “So who’re you supposed to be?”

Caduceus tutted as he reminded her, “No talking with our mouths full.” She swallowed quickly as the drow politely bowed his head and replied, “I am Shadowhand Essek Thelyss of Den Thelyss. It is a pleasure to meet you.” She shoved another spoonful of stew into her mouth as Caleb walked over to Yasha and pleaded, “More, please?”

She refilled his bowl and handed it back to him. The boy smiled and walked to a seat beside Fjord as Nott swallowed another spoon of her broth before squirming. Caduceus’s mouth pulled into a lazy smile as he commented, “I think that’s enough soup for you. C’mon!” He lifted her out of his lap and settled her on Jester’s shoulders. The baby giggled and clung to Jester’s horns as the tiefling cooed at her. 

Beau seemed to accept his introduction as she returned the head bow and informed him, “I’m Beauregard Lionett of The Mighty Nein. As the oldest, I’m giving you one warning: mess with my brothers or sister and I’ll kick you in the balls.” Jester cackled madly as Caduceus politely reminded her, “We talked about this, Beau.” The human girl’s brows furrowed as she returned, “What? I’m just warning him!”

Molly, a smirk playing on his lips, chuckled as he told Beau, “We know but it makes for an unfortunate first impression.” She huffed as she blew some hair out of her face and grumbled. 

From their end of the table Fjord and Caleb piped up, “But she’s good at it.” Jester’s laughter grew louder as Molly wheezed out a laugh. Beau stuck her chin out defiantly as she exclaimed, “See! Fjord and Bren agree!” Essek raised a brow, interested in the different name, as he inquired, “Would you care to introduce your brother’s and sister to me?” 

Beau smiled cheerily as she answered, “Sure!” She walked behind Fjord as she gave him a hug and declared, “This is my little brother Fjord. He’s super nice and brave! He’s also Nott’s big brother.” Moving to the other side, Beau put a hand on Caleb’s shoulder as she told Essek, “This is Bren. He’s the same age as Fjord and he’s super smart. My brothers are pretty shy so don’t make’em unhappy or I’ll pummel you!”

The boys giggled at her threat as Beau continued, “And this is Nott! She’s the cutest baby ever! She’ll bite you if you make her mad though.” Sure enough, when Essek glanced at the goblin’s mouth there was the tiniest hint of teeth poking through her gums. The baby fiddled with Jester’s hair and laughed as Jester sat still and let her play. 

Essek nodded as he told Beau, “I can promise you that I will do my best to not upset any of your siblings, Ms. Lionett.” Beau made a face as she shot him a look and ordered, “Don’t call me that, call me Beau.” The drow smiled as he agreed, “Very well then, Beau.” The human girl smiled as she remarked, “You seem cool. It’s nice to meet you too, Essek.” Essek’s lips quirked into a slight grin as he bowed and told the group, “I’ll be taking my leave now. This was pleasant. Should you have need of my services, send for me and I will try my best to assist.”

The drow left as he arrived, quickly and floating, and left the adults of The Mighty Nein to deal with the children. The first thing they did, after having fed and clothed them, was settle them into various rooms. Jester and Beau’s room was fine for Beau and Nott to share with the tiefling. Fjord and Caleb were given Fjord’s room to share. 

Caduceus led the boys to their room and offered to stay with them. Caleb seemed to be fine with the idea and spoke openly. Fjord, on the other hand, opened then closed his mouth, seeming to hesitate. The firbolg gave him a patient smile as he crouched and asked, “Is there something you’d like to tell me, Fjord?” The child bit his lip, drawing attention to the tiny tusks peeking out from his lower lip, before murmuring, “I want you to stay with me.” Giving the child a pat on the head, Caduceus agreed to stay with them.

When the hour grew late, though one could not tell in Xorhas, they settled the children into their beds. Jester took great delight in tucking Beau and Nott into bed, even offering to read to them. Taking Nott into her arms, Beau fidgeted as she asked, “Really? You’re not too busy?” Jester huffed as she playfully chastised, “Beau~! I’ll never be too busy for you.” When the girl lowered her head as though embarrassed, Jester's eyes narrowed as she told her, “Even when my Mama was busy she always made time for me. Your parents are just jerks!”

Beau smiled as she cradled the babbling goblin and told Jester, “Yeah, that’s why you guys are my parents now!” Jester wrapped the girls in a hug as she cooed, “You guys are the best! I love you guys so much! Now let’s start the story!” She released the girls, pulled out her copy of  _ Tusk Love, _ and began reading the less exciting parts to them. 

Caduceus pulled the blanket further onto the tiny forms of Caleb and Fjord. The human boy had fallen asleep quite quickly but Fjord seemed to be waiting for something. He shifted anxiously as he called out, “Cad? I gotta ask you somethin’.” The firbolg raised a brow as he curiously told him, “Go ahead, Fjord, I’m listening.” 

The half-orc pulled out something from beneath the blanket and offered it to Caduceus. In his palm was the symbol of The Wild Mother Caduceus had commissioned for Fjord. The boy ducked his head and confessed, “I found it in the weird clothes I got stuck in. I didn’t mean to steal it our nothin’; I just wanted to see what it was. ’M sorry.” 

The cleric set down his staff, slowly wrapped Fjord’s fingers around the symbol, and told him, “It’s yours. I want you to keep it close so She can protect you. Can you do that for me?” Fjord’s eyes went wide as he eagerly nodded and replied, “I will, I promise.” Caduceus ruffled the boy’s hair as he tucked the symbol underneath his pillow and curled up under the blanket. Once the boy had fallen asleep, Caduceus settled himself down on the floor and followed the boys into slumber. 

The next morning brought with it no light and very confused children. Beau frowned at the starry sky as she commented, “It’s weird. I don’t like it.” Caleb smiled at the sky and said, “It’s _wunderschönen_! I wish my house had _ein_ _nacht_ sky too.” Fjord stuck close to Jester with Nott held in his lap as he contributed, “It might be fun to live under the stars.” 

Beau seemed thoughtful as she suddenly realized, “No more sunburns! No sun means no sunburns!” She turned to Caduceus as she asked, “Can we go outside today? Please?” He smiled as he told her, “We do have a garden if you want to visit that.” Caleb looked up at the mention of a garden as the firbolg said, “There’s a tree too if you want to play.” 

Beau, already a quick eater, scarfed down her food and got dressed for the day. She seemed to struggle with her hair, the locks tangling and refusing to separate. Yasha, seeing her struggle, offered to cut her hair. Beau clutched her hair as a series of emotions flickered across her face. 

Yasha saw this and quickly told her, “It’s okay if you don’t want to, I just-” Beau cut her off as she exclaimed, “No, I want to! I just...” The barbarian waited as the human girl gathered her thoughts. Finally, Beau sighed as she timidly asked, “You don't think it’s wrong for me to want my hair short?” Yasha furrowed her brow as she asked, “Did your parents tell you it was wrong?” 

The child bit her lip nervously as her shoulders hunched defensively. Yasha took a deep breath to keep the rage from overtaking her as she crouched down, put her hands on Beau’s shoulders, and told her, “It’s your body, no one can tell you what to do with it. If you want to cut your hair, tell us and we’ll cut it.” Beau met Yasha’s gaze as she touched their foreheads together and said, “You’re allowed to do what makes you happy with us. We love you, Beau.”

Beau felt tears trickle down her cheeks as the barbarian slowly stood up and offered her hand. Beau wiped at her eye with one hand as she gave her other one to Yasha. The latter took the child into her room, the field of flowers as vibrant as the day they were painted, and sat her down on the floor. Beau’s tears stopped as Yasha drew a dagger and asked, “Would you like me to cut your hair, Beau?” 

The girl nodded definitively and told the adult, “I hate how my hair looks, please cut it.” Yasha nodded and sat behind the girl as she took her knife and deftly cut the long tresses that had been vexing her friend. Carefully, Yasha sliced the underside of her hair until it was little more than fuzz and tied the upper part into a bun. Some of it, in a way similar to her older self, escaped but Beau seemed to be enjoying herself. 

When she finished, Yasha handed Beau a mirror and asked, “What do you think?” Beau was struck silent, her mouth agape in shock, as she worlessly spoke. Eventually, the girl gave Yasha a watery smile as she exclaimed, “I love it! Thank you! Thank you so much!” She handed the mirror back and ran back to the main room. 

The kids immediately noticed as Beau showed off her new haircut. Fjord and Caleb ran their fingers along the fuzz as Nott played with the locks of hair that escaped her bun. Jester cooed at the sight and told her that it made her look ‘bad-ass’. Molly had patted her shoulder, offering a quick compliment on his way out. When Caduceus came downstairs to show them the garden and tree, he remarked, “Very nice, Beau. It really suits you.”

The garden itself was limited but the children still loved it. Beau had taken it upon herself to climb into its branches and seek out the daylight jars that supported the life below. Caleb found himself sitting with Fjord beneath the tree’s boughs and reading the stories of his book aloud. Nott was rolling in the soil, thoroughly muddying her dress, and splashing in the puddles made by Caduceus’s watering cans.

Said firbolg watched as the children ran through his garden, enjoying the Wild Mother’s gifts. Nott eventually found herself curled up between the flowers, somehow cautious enough to avoid crushing their stems. Beau eventually helped her brothers into the trees in time for the daylight spell to activate while they were in the middle of its expansive reach. 

As they sat there in awe, Caleb felt something in his chest tug and he found himself drawing familiar symbols in the air as he murmured a short incantation. At the end of his motions, he cupped his hands and blew into them. Cradled in his palms, a small flame flickered and danced. Fjord and Beau looked over his shoulders as the latter breathed, “That’s awesome.”

Caleb smiled as he whispered, “I didn’t know it could do this. _ Es ist zauber! _ ” Beau smiled as she remarked, “All we need now is for Nottie to get powers too.” Fjord watched as Caleb put the fire out and told him, “We should tell the adults! Maybe we can help them fight monsters!” Beau quickly helped her brothers down as they rushed to tell the members of The Mighty Nein.

Caduceus, by this time, had hoisted the goblin baby out of the muck and mud and handed her to a laughing Jester to be cleaned. When the other children landed on the soft soil, Beau darted over and called out, “Caddy! Caddy! Come see what Bren can do!” He put his tools down as Caleb went through the motions again and held out his flame. The firbolg’s eyebrows raised in surprise as he remarked, “Very impressive, Bren. Did you want to show the others?” 

Caleb nodded and trailed behind Caduceus as the latter guided the group downstairs. Yasha was helping Jester scrub a wriggling, laughing, and splashing baby in their kitchen sink while Molly laughed at them. Jester huffed at the laughter and threw a washcloth at him, cackling loudly when he sputtered indignantly through the rag when it landed on his face. The kids giggled at the antics as Yasha pulled Nott out of the water and wrapped her in a fluffy towel they had gotten from the spa. 

Taking notice of the kids, Molly waved them over and asked, “What’cha got there, Bren?” The boy held his hands out excitedly and exclaimed, “I have powers! Look!  _ Es ist ein feuer! _ ” Molly’s eyes widened in shock as the others crowded around to look at Caleb’s magic. Jester, soaked from her waist up, smiled as she cooed, “You can use magic! That’s so cool!.” Yasha tucked Nott against her chest as the baby tried to poke the flame and pouted when she could not reach.

Caleb smiled as he gently snuffed the fire out and looked at the adults, his blue eyes shining with pride and joy. Yasha ruffled his hair, which had grown long, and patted his back as she walked away. Molly put the child on his shoulders and declared, “This calls for a celebration!” Jester whooped as she followed him out the door and onto the streets of Rosohna.

Beau and Fjord were quick to grab the adults’ hands as they walked towards the market place. Before they got too far, Jester and Molly pinned the symbol of the Bright Queen on their cloaks and told them to not take them off or trade them for anything. They all agreed to wear the symbols where they were easily seen and followed them towards a store Caleb showed an interest in.

It was filled with incense, candles, and it’s walls were covered from floor to ceiling with books. The child’s eyes went wide as the drow behind the counter looked up from her book. She tucked a silver braid behind her ear as she called out, “Yes! Can I help you?!” Molly set Caleb on the counter as he answered, “I hope so! Our little one loves to read and has earned himself a reward. You got any recommendations, Miss...?” 

She glanced at the human boy, his blue eyes sparkling with curiosity and admiration. The shop owner smiled as she replied, “Vera. I think I have a few that would work for him.” She pulled a bundle of five books from beneath the counter. Caleb’s eyes widened as Vera patted the pile and told them, “He strikes me as a quick reader and more than a little inquisitive. This batch contains a few of our local legends, a couple basic histories, and some longer novels.” 

Caleb looked at the pile with awe as she informed them, “Normally I’d not part with it for less than twenty gold but, since this little one has been especially well-behaved, I’ll cut it down to ten.” Molly smirked as he handed over the coin and handed the stack to Caleb. The child seemed to struggle while holding the stack until Beau offered to help and they worked together to carry it back home. 

While in the marketplace, Jester ended up grabbing a few things for the kids. Beau was given a pair of thick gloves that were padded across the knuckles, which she immediately tested by punching a wall. After she told Beau not to punch people’s buildings, Fjord received a thick scarf that matched the blue of his pants. Once it was wound around his neck, he proudly strutted about to display the soft material. 

When they finally made it back home, Nott received another outfit to keep her warm. Jester had picked out a long baby gown in a nice shade of brown with white sleeves. Flowers were embroidered on the skirt and hemline as well as a pair of baby boots to help the goblin toddle around. 

Caleb immediately settled onto the couch, opened his bundle, and started with the book on the top. Nott, in her new gear, climbed next to him and settled her head in his lap. He pet her head while scanning over the pages of  _ Legends of Xorhas: First Edition  _ with an inquisitive gaze. She purred at the motion and her tiny claws hooked into Caleb’s pants. Caleb smiled and continued petting her hair as the other children and Caduceus joined with tea and sandwiches.

The children seemed to take to Xorhas well, often asking Jester to send messages to Essek. With pleading eyes and sweet requests to invite him to meals, the tiefling cleric caved to the children’s requests quickly. As a result, Essek found himself once more in their main room with the children looking at him in awe. He shifted uncomfortably under their gazes as Beau asked, “Do you know magic, Essek?” 

Essek gave her a polite smile as he replied, “I do actually.” He twirled his hands in the air, trails of light creating arcane symbols, and remarked, “I’m actually considered a prodigy amongst my peers.” Caleb’s smile, already large, grew in size as he exclaimed, “I gots magic too,  _ Herr _ Essek! I can make  _ feuer _ with my hands!” Essek’s brow rose in surprise as he curiously remarked, “Really? I would like to see that sometime. Perhaps I could show you a few things?” 

If Caleb was glowing with excitement before, he was practically bursting when Essek extended his invitation. He glanced at Caduceus, the only adult watching them while the others did some food shopping, and asked, “Can he?” The firbolg looked up from his tea with a tranquil smile as he answered, “I think that’s great. As long as the lessons are kept in the study with the necessary precautions, I don’t see why it would be a problem.”

Essek bowed his head respectfully as he told Caleb, “I look forward to our lessons young man.” Caleb clumsily returned the bow and answered, “ _ Danke, Herr _ Essek.” Beau gave the drow a smile as she downed her tea and handed her cup back to Caduceus for a refill. He did so without a word as he offered, “More tea, Mr. Essek?” Essek held a hand up and declined as he explained, “Unfortunately, I have other business to attend to this day. Perhaps some other time?” Caduceus nodded his head in understanding as their guest stood and floated to their door. 

The lessons with Essek started soon after, much to the joy of Caleb. The child progressed quickly in his lessons, absorbing knowledge as fast as Essek could teach it. Sometimes, Beau would pop in to check on her little brother and to marvel at his progress. She would always ruffle his hair and tell him how proud she was before leaving him to his lesson.

The magic lessons would occur three times a week and Caleb would often finish his work before expected. The rest of The Mighty Nein proudly watched as Caleb learned, sometimes rattling off facts about the arcane to whomever was interested. He often ended up with Nott and Fjord listening in fascination, mostly Fjord since Nott only seemed to like the sound of him talking.

It was after a couple weeks that the adults noticed no changes in the children like previous encounters. They worried that perhaps the spell that had changed them for a third time evolved. During one of his visits, they asked Essek to see if he could discern why they had not changed back. He left with a promise to discover what their affliction was and how to reverse it.

After four days of study with only a few of the mage’s notes, he returned with an offer to see if the spell could be reverse-engineered. With the promise of a likely lead, the adults felt their stress ease a bit. The children picked up on the tension and began scheming ways to help. Beau wrote down a list of things to do that might help and together they divided tasks. 

Fjord decided that he would work with Caduceus in the kitchen and garden in order to help him relax. Caleb determined that he should accompany Yasha into the market and help grab supplies with her. Beau resolved that she would distract the others if needed and Nott would help simply by being a cute baby. Their plan seemed to work for a while, though Caduceus had caught on quickly to what they were doing and told the others.

After a few days of the kids trying to ease the adults’ worry, something shifted. There was no prediction for the consequences after someone had started harassing Caleb and Beau for being humans in Rosohna. Caduceus, being the peaceful person he was, tried to de-escalate the situation before anything had happened. The harasser, a bugbear who had seen the group walking about and decided that he needed something to do, ignored the calming words and slammed the firbolg into a wall. 

Caduceus choked as the enormous claw wrapped around his throat and pinned him against the brick wall of a store. Before either Beau or Caduceus could react, a Firebolt slammed into the bugbear and burned away a patch of fur. He dropped Caduceus, who coughed as he sucked in as much air as he could, and shrieked as Caleb shouted, “Don’t touch my  _ familie _ , you racist  _ arschloch _ !”

The air around the child grew warm as his eyes narrowed into a glare far too intimidating for a child. Flames wreathed around him as he unleashed another spell that drove the bugbear further back. The bugbear screamed and ran as the child screamed Zemnian curses they had heard from his older self. Caleb’s form glowed as the flames circled his form and hid him in a bright light.

The light died down only a minute after concealing him, revealing a taller figure standing in the same clothes. His red hair was longer than it had been as a child and his blue eyes were colder but Beau still recognized him as her little brother. The girl looked at him in wonder as she quietly asked, “Bren?” 

He flinched, pulled back to reality, and looked at her in confusion as he returned, “Beauregard?” She nodded as she realized the situation and told him, “Caddy’s hurt and needs help!” The wizard followed her to where Caduceus was sitting up and trying to steady his breathing and helped him onto his feet.

The firbolg draped himself over Caleb as the latter told him, “There we go. Lean on me as much as you can. Beauregard, if you could stay close I would appreciate it.” Still in shock, Beau complied and stayed as close as she could to the adults as they made their way back home. 

As they walked, Beau kept glancing at her brother and taking in his new appearance. She watched as he looked around, watching to see the attention they were getting as he hauled Caduceus back. They were quiet until the house came into sight and Beau ran ahead shouting, “Jester! Molly! Yasha! Caduceus is hurt! Jester!” 

The door swung open with a loud crack as Jester burst out the front door and ran to help. Molly stepped out of the house confused as he asked, “Beau?! Oh my god, Beau!” Molly ran over to the pair and pulled Beau into his arms as he asked, “What happened?”

Jester had taken Caduceus from Caleb as the wizard commented, “I was hoping you would have some answers.” Molly nodded as he clapped him on the shoulder with a free hand and carried Beau inside. The tiefling shot the wizard a smirk as he remarked, “Good to see you again.” Caleb nodded as he responded, “It is  _ gut _ to be back.” From where he was standing, Caleb could see two small green figures peering at him from behind the door frame. 

As he walked up, he saw a goblin babe in the arms of a half-orc child attempting to look at him without revealing themselves. Awkwardly, he gave them a nervous chuckle as he greeted, “ _ Hallo _ , Fjord. Is Nott doing well?” The boy shuffled stiffly as he replied, “Yeah, she’s okay?” 

Caleb placed a hand on Fjord’s head, ignoring the way he flinched, and ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately. After a moment, Fjord leaned into the touch and relaxed under his gentle touch. The wizard chuckled as he told the child, “Let me change into something a, uh, a bit more comfortable and we can talk.” Fjord nodded as he adjusted Nott and returned, “You should meet us for tea, Bren. It’s really good.”

For only a second, Caleb froze in place at the mention of his former name but soon shrugged it off and continued walking to his room. Once he was dressed comfortably, he returned to the main room where the children were enjoying sandwiches and tea. As soon as he entered the room, Nott lowered herself onto the floor, attempted to toddle over, fell on her front, and crawled over to him.

He chuckled as he lifted the eager goblin into his arms and tucked her against his chest. She cooed and clutched at his coat as she babbled to no one in particular. Fjord’s face lit up as he exclaimed, “Nottie still likes you!” Caleb raised a brow as he commented, “ _ Ja _ , we are pretty close.” Fjord smiled as he moved closer to Caleb and remarked, “She’s the best sister ever! She likes cuddles and food and she loves shiny things.”

Caleb spotted the bell rattle tucked into a pocket on the dress and smiled. Nott seemed content to stay in his lap, which of course kept Fjord close, and stayed there until he needed to stand. He was a little surprised when Fjord took her into his arms for a moment before passing her back to him with a remark of, “She likes it if you put her on your shoulders.” Without another word, Fjord wandered away to check on Caduceus and take his plate into the kitchen.

Nott was content to sit on Caleb’s shoulders while Molly filled him in on the situation. Once he was told, Caleb relaxed as he in turn informed Molly, “I don’t remember much from when I was a child but I can recall being angry, like a fire was building inside of me. Suddenly, I remembered the spell and there I was, fully grown and trying to help a friend.” Molly nodded along as he followed Caleb’s explanation and sighed, “That’s a shame. I was hoping you could tell us about what the fuck is going on and how to fix it.”

Caleb shrugged as he shifted so that the, now napping, goblin was safely ensconced in his arms after being wrapped in a blanket. The baby exposed a small clawed hand from her cozy cocoon and grabbed his coat. Without looking down, Caleb rubbed her back reassuringly and drew a soft sigh out of her. Molly smiled as he walked back to the main room and commented, “You’re really good with her, let’s see how good you are with the others.

As it turned out, the other children seemed to be charmed with Caleb and would often seek him out. They easily took to calling him Caleb instead of Bren once he explained that he preferred to be called the former. Beau still acted protective around him, telling him, “Just ‘cause you’re grown doesn’t mean I’m not tougher than you!” This of course made many of the adults laugh at her remark.

Nott would often wander from person to person like usual but seemed to develop a habit of curling up in Caleb’s lap before he went to bed. On the other hand, Fjord seemed to be nervous around him. Oftentimes, the boy would huddle into himself or avoid the wizard when he walked into the room. The shift in behavior concerned them and Caleb feared he had done something to frighten the child.

He would find his answer the next day. Curious about a passage he had read, Caleb decided to stay up later than the others and keep a watchful eye out for anything that might wake the others. Late into the evening, not that the sky would show any change, there was a disturbance. Caleb snapped his book shut and stood, Frumpkin walking in front of him. The noise, though soft, was enough to draw him in.

He found himself in front of Fjord’s bedroom, listening for the sound that had drawn him there. As he pressed an ear to the door, Caleb finally recognized the sound as the stifled cries of a child. He relaxed as he realized what the noise was and dropped the spell he had prepared. The muffled sobs continued for a moment and went quiet for a minute before returning in full force. 

Caleb shuffled awkwardly for a moment outside the child’s room, steeling himself, and knocked on the door. The room grew silent as the wizard softly called out, “Fjord, are you in there? I need to talk to you  _ bitte _ .” He heard shuffling before a strained voice called back, “You can come in now.” Without any trouble, the door swung open and let lantern-light spill into the empty room. Frumpkin wandered a few feet in before jumping on top on a windowsill. 

Fjord was nowhere in sight and, instinctively, Caleb sent out his globules of light and brightened the room as though daylight was shining in. He heard shifting and a couple sniffling noises beneath the bed as he asked, “ _ Danke _ , but could I speak with you face to face? It’s important.” 

There was more shifting until he eventually saw a mop of black hair and a large nightshirt come crawling from underneath the bed. A small arm rubbed at his face, attempting to hide the tear tracks from view. Golden eyes glanced up at the wizard as the latter gave him a weak smile and said, “I have noticed your reluctance to be around me. If I have made you uncomfortable or…” 

Fjord’s eyes widened as he interrupted by exclaiming, “No, you’re cool! I just, I’m just scared!” Caleb’s eyes widened in surprise as he asked, “What are you scared of, Fjord?” The child immediately clamped his mouth shut and bit his lip. The air in the room dropped a few degrees at the change in conversation.

Gentle hands settled on the child’s shoulders and Fjord looked up. Caleb’s eye crinkled with his smile as he said, “If you are afraid, I want to help. I will  _ never _ hurt you on purpose, Fjord. And if anyone even  _ thinks _ it, I will chase them away. Understand?” The half-orc’s eyes watered as he nodded and wrapped his arms around the adult’s neck.

Trembling fingers lead warm arms to show them the way to wrap around the child’s body. Caleb let a huff of amusement fall from his lips as he asked, “ _ Was ist _ scaring you?” The arms around his neck tightened as a small head tucked itself against his neck. Caleb chuckled as he stressed, “ _ Fjord, _ I cannot help if you do not tell me what exactly is the problem.”

The face pulled away just long enough for Fjord to whisper, “I’m scared to be alone. I don’t like it. You used to sleep in here and when I was scared you’d hug me but…” “Now I am grown and you don’t have someone to comfort you,” Caleb finished. Fjord put his head back as the wizard lifted the child into his arms and told him, “Then it’s a good thing you told me.”

Caleb carried the sleepy child through the house, through the library, and into his own room. Placing a hand on the back of the boy’s head, Caleb lowered his passenger onto the bed and crawled in next to him. As Caleb drew the covers over their bodies, Fjord clutched his shirt and murmured, “Th’nk you, Bren.” Caleb sighed as he whispered back, “You’re welcome, Fjord.

The next morning came with a child who refused to let go of Caleb. As a result, the wizard struggled to lift himself and Fjord out of bed but he managed to carry the child to their table to eat. Molly smirked as he asked, “Late night?” Caleb ignored him as Fjord sleepily munched on his breakfast from the adult’s lap. 

Jester cooed at the sight while Yasha cradled Nott’s tired form in one arm, the babe nuzzling into her side while seeking warmth. Beau was eating anything that made its way onto her plate rapidly and focusing on the feeling of Jester combing her hair. 

Once Fjord was more alert, he shifted off of Caleb’s lap and curled up on the couch with his symbol of Melora. Beau eventually joined him, her hair tied up and without traces of food on her, and started talking with him. He made motions to his symbol as he gestured around and stood on the cushions of the couch as his voice raised in excitement.

Beau seemed to follow his lead this time, growing more excited as she joined in and their energies seemed to amplify the others’. Within mere minutes they were running around the house and darted into the garden to play. Caduceus minded the shrines as the sound of shrieking children echoed around him.

On the other hand, Nott seemed to avoid the outside like it might hurt her. She ended up curled up inside Molly’s coat when he sat to talk with Caleb. He moved to get up but was stopped by the whines and weight of a goblin. The tiefling glanced at his coat and spotted a little bundle curled up next to his leg.

With a sigh, mostly due to inconvenience, he gently nudged her side to encourage her to move. Instead, she grabbed hold of his pants and pulled herself closer with a small whine. Caleb coughed out a laugh as he remarked, “It seems she’s found someplace comfortable.” Molly sighed again, this time to be dramatic, and replied, “I suppose I have no choice but to bend to her wishes.” Caleb snorted and hid his face in his book as Molly pulled his coat over the goblin, a smile on his lips when he heard her let out a long breath of relaxation.

Outside, Beau and Fjord were swinging their swords at fake monsters when Fjord stopped and coughed. Beau paused and turned back to her brother as his coughing turned to hacking in order to ask if he was alright. The words never made it out of her throat as she too began to cough and wheeze. Caduceus stopped what he was doing and rushed to their sides.

As he placed a hand on Beau, she sucked in a breath and croaked, “Cad? Wha-?” His hand covered her entire chest as it began to glow. Her coughing eased for a moment as she shuddered. Out of the corner of his eye, Caduceus saw Fjord drop to his knees and retch violently. Worried, he shouted, “Help! We need help up here!” 

Yasha came first, running in prepared to fight, and stopped as she took in the scene. Quickly, the woman gathered Fjord in her arms and carried him inside. The boy let out a weak cough and clung to her with what little strength he had left. Caduceus rushed past her with Beau in his arms as he called out, “Jester! Emergency! We have a situation!”

The blue tiefling rushed towards him and laid her hands on Beau, releasing a spell that seemed to ease her breathing. Beau coughed one more time and went limp in Caduceus’s arms as her body relaxed against his. Seeing that Beau was doing better, Jester turned her attention to Fjord.

The child had curled in on himself and was attempting to muffle his coughs with his hands when she focused on him. Yasha helped Jester examine Fjord by holding him so that the healer could listen to his lungs. Fjord struggled very briefly when they forced him to unfold himself but gave in when he realized it was Jester examining him.

She frowned as she used her magic to help him, his coughing died down but she could see him resisting the urge to draw away. Jester suppressed the urge to say some very not-nice words and reassured the boy, “Nothing’s going to hurt you, Fjord, I’m just seeing what’s wrong.” He nodded and tried to calm himself enough that she could do what was necessary.

Jester touched his forehead and felt along his jaw for swelling of the sinuses. Finding nothing to explain their symptoms, she had Yasha and Caduceus take the children into her room and told them, “I’m not sure what’s making them sick but we should keep everyone else from getting it.”

Having heard the commotion, Caleb and Molly came up with Nott safely wrapped in the tiefling’s coat. While Jester explained the situation, Nott began to squirm and called out, “Fjor?! Fjor!” Molly bounced her and gently shushed her as she started to wail. Jester winced at the sounds of the baby’s cries and tried to soothe her. The baby screeched as she wailed, “Fjooor! Wan’ Fjor!” She continued to wail, the noise resounding through the house, alerting everyone to her sorrow.

Unable to handle any more of her crying, Caleb took Nott into his arms and tucked her head against his neck as he whispered, “It’s okay,  _ meine schwester. _ Everything’s okay.” She whimpered as he rubbed circles on her back and shushed her, repeating his reassurances. Eventually she calmed down, allowing Jester and Caduceus to work on treating their sick charges. 

Beau seemed to revel in the gentle touches and attention they gave her while ill. Jester tucked her under the sheets and moved to leave, Beau’s hand had shot out and held the healer in place. When she looked down, she saw the pleading blue eyes of a child desperately seeking comfort and the feeling was made worth when the girl pleaded, voice hoarse, “Don’t go, please don’t go.” Jester gave her a weak smile, suppressed the urge to cry, wrapped her hand around the child’s, and told her, “Oh, Beau, of course I’ll stay. I won’t ever leave you.”

On the other hand, Fjord retreated to the furthest corner of the bed and curled in on himself. When Caduceus had attempted to tuck him in, Fjord flinched and tried to push away. Caduceus was quick to calm the child with gentle touches as he pulled the child close to his chest and whispered, “You’re alright, Fjord. I’ve got you, it’s alright.” The child balled his fingers around a piece of Caduceus’s shirt and pressed his face against the firbolg’s chest. Long fingers ran through the child’s hair and slowly massaged his shoulders so that he could relax.

Thankfully, the clerics were quick to treat their sickness and eventually remembered, once the panic had passed, that they had spells to cure them. Beau, once Jester had finished casting the spell, had immediately decided to help wait on Fjord. The boy had recovered with the spell but he seemed to be struggling with another illness as a result of his time outside. 

Unfortunately, he’d contracted two sicknesses and refused to let either cleric treat the second one with a spell when he could power through it. They allowed him this act of stubbornness only so they could dote on him and shower him with the affection his orphanage had failed to give.

Beau, who was as sharp as ever, was the most eager to help. When Fjord would try to convince her that he was fine, she would double her efforts and give more of herself into his treatment. Her part in the treatment though, was mainly to keep an eye on him and monitor his condition. 

When he was hungry she would holler down the stairs to the adults, much to their exasperation, or would go running through the house to fetch him water. It was sheer luck that Caduceus had caught her before she lit the stove to make him tea when his coughing had left his chest and throat aching. 

Despite all the shenanigans she caused, Beau took her duties as the oldest sister seriously. When it was time for bed, Beau would make sure that Fjord felt safe and was fast asleep before she would go to bed herself. She also made sure that Nott was safely tucked away in her crate bed in Caleb’s room before making sure her little, though he was now grown, brother was safe.

It was not long after Fjord recovered that the next child hit their growth spurt. They had been tasked, by order of the Bright Queen, to retrieve something powerful. Essek offered his own services in order to compensate for their missing comrades. Thankfully, it really was a simple retrieval mission. All they had to do was speak to the package’s keeper and escort it safely back to Rosohna. 

They ended up in a small, unseen town - where better to hide something important - with Essek keeping an eye on the children. The drow seemed a little uncomfortable with them, though the children had no such reservations. Fjord tucked himself close to Essek’s robe while Beau kept trying to peek beneath his robe to see how he was floating. Nott was being held awkwardly by Essek due to how abruptly Jester had deposited the baby in his arms. 

It was going fine at least until they heard a loud horn sound itself. Essek’s reservations vanished as he pulled the children close and herded them into an abandoned building, forcing the door open when the door stuck from disuse. Once inside, he cast a spell to ensure the door would not move and settled the children in a closet away from the windows. 

Beau shuffled the younger two behind her, dust tickling her nose and making Fjord sneeze, and peered through a hole next to the door. She could see Essek, his form tense and heard the loud shouts of something approaching. The sounds grew louder, causing him to tense and subconsciously move himself between the door and the closet.

There was a minute of silence when a voice shouted, “Search the village!” Before anything else occurred there was an explosion of flame outside followed by Caleb shouting, “Oh fuck!” There was shouting after that and the door to the house was nearly opened a couple times. Essek moved towards a window and cursed as he told the children, “Stay here and keep hidden.”

He moved towards a window and in the blink of an eye he vanished. There was quiet for a few seconds before there was pounding on the door and curses in another language. Fjord shuddered as he whispered, “Bad words, they’re sayin’ bad words.” Beau took a deep breath as she watched the room and realized the language must be Orcish. 

It was quiet for all of five seconds before the window was shattered by a large fist. Nott whined, woken by the sound, and began to cry. Desperately, Fjord began rocking and shushing her to keep her quiet. The fist was followed by a body as the intimidating figure entered the building. Nott, seeming to sense her brother’s fear, went silent as the orc muttered something and began to investigate the building. 

Beau held her breath as the intruder stepped closer to their hiding place. He seemed to look at the door with some curiosity before passing it. The children grew tense as they listened to heavy footsteps walk away from the closet and approach once more. Beau pushed away from the door, which forced Fjord and Nott even further into the closet’s relative safety.

There was a moment of silence, for a beat none of the children dared breathe, and then the door knob turned. The second the door opened, Beau’s fist crashed into his face and was followed by a blinding pain in his groin. 

As he groaned and steadied himself, the children ran past him and attempted to find a place he could not reach. Unfortunately, he recovered quickly and growled. Fjord had run into a room that was once used to sleep and tucked his baby sister out of reach in an alcove hidden beneath a heavy four-poster bed and ran to find a different spot for himself. Beau, on reflex, leaped up and held herself against the ceiling using what strength she had in her arms and legs. The orc stormed past her and into the room her siblings had hopefully hid themselves in. 

There was another moment of silence and Beau prayed to the gods that her brother and sister were well hidden. She stayed where she was for another minute when she heard a shriek and a deep voice bellow, “Found you runt!” 

Beau dropped to the floor and ran into the bedroom where the orc had clamped a large hand around Fjord’s leg and hoisted him into the air. From somewhere in the room, Beau could hear Nott crying but all that she could think about was the fact that a stranger was grabbing her brother and her siblings were scared. 

She threw herself against the orc, hoping to knock him off balance,and tumbled to the floor. The orc simply looked down at her and growled, “You little brat.” He reached for her and Beau dodged out of his reach as Fjord screamed, “Run! Get help!” Beau’s eyes darted to him before refocusing on her target and told him, “I’m not leaving you with this asshole. Family doesn’t leave family.” 

The orc raised a brow as he commented, “You’re related to the half-blood. We could use new blood.” Fjord grew pale as Beau glared and spat, “You’re not taking him anywhere! I won’t let you!” The orc smirked as he replied, “Doesn’t matter, you’ll be dead anyways.” 

He smashed his fist into the ground where she stood, narrowly missing her as she hopped onto his fist and slammed her heel down on top of his head. He groaned and tried to grab her with his free hand. She moved out of the way, wrapped her legs around his neck, and leaned back. He stumbled and crashed to the floor as the child backflipped and fell into a defensive stance.

Fjord, whose leg was released when the orc had fallen, scrambled away with a slight limp. Beau’s vision went red at the sight as she screamed and threw herself at him, fists a blur as she pummeled her opponent. During the blows, her body turned white and her form grew larger and larger until it was a grown monk hitting the orc.

She continued beating his face until he was unconscious and no longer moving. When she was done, she stood up and took in her surroundings. It took her a moment to realize what had happened and saw a tiny foot peeking out from underneath the bed. 

Slowly, she lowered herself onto the floor and peered beneath. She saw a tiny half-orc and a goblin baby hiding beneath, the former flinching and trying to move back. She frowned as she exclaimed, “Shit! Wait! It’s just me! It’s Beau, remember!” The boy stopped moving as the baby crawled out and babbled, “Bo! Is Bo!” 

She sat up, crossing her legs and lifted the baby into her arms as she, as reassuring as she could manage, whispered, “It’s okay, Fjord. I’m me.” The boy shimmied out of his hiding place and crawled to where she was, wincing when his ankle was jostled from movement. She suppressed her anger as she offered her hand to him. He took it and, after she pulled him into her lap, she passed Nott to him.

Once the baby was safe in his arms, Beau scooped Fjord into her arms and told him, “We’re checking on the others.” He nodded and leaned his head against her shoulder as Nott rubbed her cheek against his neck and cooed, “Fjor, Fjor ‘ere! S’fe!” Beau felt her lips turn up into a smirk as she watched Fjord hold Nott close to his tiny chest. 

The door still wouldn’t move so she carefully climbed through the window to meet up with the rest of The Mighty Nein. Jester was just retrieving her  _ Spiritual Weapon _ when Caduceus called out, “Nice to see you again Miss Beau.” Molly turned towards her, a look of annoyance and mouth opened to lecture her about staying safe no doubt, and choked as he took in the sight of her there in her childhood self’s clothes.

Jester ran forward with a smile as she exclaimed, “Beau, you’re back!” The cleric's eyes drifted to the children in her arms and she gasped at Fjord’s scared expression. Molly had made his way over by then and offered, “I can take her so that Jester can have a look at you, Fjord.” Hesitantly, Fjord allowed him to take the baby while Jester frowned at the large bruise around his ankle. 

Essek, only just arriving, huffed as he told the group, “A couple got away but not many. How did you fare?” Nott saw him approach, began to squirm in her guardian’s grip, and reached for him with tiny grasping hands. The drow heard her struggles as Molly walked up, handed her over to him, and walked off as he remarked, “Careful she bites.”

He awkwardly cradled the baby as she babbled, “Sek! Sek, s’fe!” He looked helplessly at Yasha, who adjusted his hands and told him to bounce her a little. He listened, albeit uncertain, and was promptly rewarded with shrieking giggles from Nott. He winced as Yasha smiled and awkwardly tickled the baby’s chin. 

During this, Jester finished healing Fjord’s ankle and was now trying to help Beau set the child down. Instead, the boy locked his arms around his big sister’s neck and refused to let go. Beau gave her a look as she whined, “Jes!” The cleric offered to carry him instead but Fjord shook his head and muttered, “Want Beau.” 

Jester smiled as she shrugged and told the monk, “Well, you heard him.” With her piece said, Jester skipped over to the others leaving Beau with a frightened child in her arms. Beau readjusted the weight in her arms as she sighed, “Fucking great.” Fjord flinched and murmured a soft, “Sorry, ‘m in the way.” 

Beau’s eyes went wide as she exclaimed, “Shit! No! Fjord, you’re great! I’m just - Fuck! - I’m just really bad with kids and I don’t wanna fucking, like, hurt your feelings. Or like, fucking…” She trailed off in frustration at her inability to explain her thoughts to him and heard giggling. She snapped her attention to Fjord as he laughed and teased, “Bad words, Beau’s using bad words.” 

Beau felt her face flush as she realized that she had been cursing in front of a five-year-old boy who apparently liked her a lot. Her jaw opened, then shut, and repeated the motion for a few minutes before she stammered out, “Fuck - wait no! Don’t repeat that! God damn it, um! Don’t say shit like that - I mean stuff! Shit this is hard!” 

Fjord laughed harder as she tried to recover from her mistakes. Eventually, she simply went quiet and tried to let the red fade from her face. Molly gave her a smile filled with barely restrained amusement. 

She refused to acknowledge it as Fjord started telling her about how cool she was and how it reminded him of when she had punched some racist in the groin for insulting Nott. She smirked at the concept and listened as he delved into the time they had gotten kidnapped. The monk nearly choked on her own spit when the boy informed her, “And I was scared but then you and Bren called them assholes and now I can say it in Zem-Zemi- what Caleb speaks.” 

Molly nearly tripped over his own feet with laughter as Yasha and Caduceus suppressed their own mirth. Caleb pointedly stared at a book he could not possibly be focusing on with the way his ears turned red. Essek, still carrying Nott as they finally retrieved the item they had been sent for, allowed a semblance of a grin to make its way onto his face.

Once Essek had teleported them all home, he handed Jester the sleeping baby he had been carrying and hurried away under the pretenses of ‘having important work to complete’. Beau raised a brow as she commented, “Damn he must be worse with kids than I am.”

Fjord frowned and smacked her arm as he scolded, “You’re not bad. You’re  _ my _ big sister and  _ no one _ can call you bad.” She gave him a soft grin as she sighed, “Not even me, huh?” He shook his head ‘no’ and hugged her as best he could from where she held him. He looked towards Caleb and declared, “If I’m not bad then no one else is either!” 

Caleb halted, body tense only for a moment, and turned towards the boy. Fjord had his jaw set in staunch determination, it was cute, and was looking at Caleb as though daring the wizard to contradict him. It was all Caleb could do to give him a smile and keep walking. 

The trip back was short and spent with Fjord telling Beau about their adventures and speaking loud enough that Caleb could hear him. Nott slept through it all as Jester kept herself from squealing at the tiny goblin in her arms. Caduceus kept his serene smile as he listened to the boy punctuate his story with little arm motions and sound effects while Molly occasionally put in little details that Fjord might have forgotten. 

By the time they reached their home, Beau had gotten so used to carrying the boy that she forgot to set him down when they sat at the dining table. He was comfortably seated on her lap as she ate her dinner, periodically grabbing something Fjord asked for. Nott had decided that she would rather sit with Caleb as he attempted to feed her soft foods and keep her grabbing hands from stealing food she could not eat.

When bedtime came, without thinking, Beau took Fjord with her into her shared room while Caleb took Nott with him. Jester smiled as the monk walked in, Fjord’s eyes drooping and his head on her shoulder, and asked, “Do you need any help putting him to bed?” Beau gave her a look before her brain finally caught up with what she was doing and muttered a quiet, “Shit!”

Jester giggled at her friend’s expression and helped her tuck in the sleepy child, who tried to convince them he could stay up, fell asleep after Jester had kissed his forehead and told him goodnight. Beau slid into her bed beside Fjord and on instinct pulled him close to her as Jester cooed, “Aww, Beau that’s so cute!” She glared at Jester as the former replied, “Fucking… Whatever, Jester, go to sleep.” The cleric did as asked but that did not stop the blood from rushing to her face and turning Beau’s skin red. 

The next member to turn back was definitely the most surprising. Caleb had gone into town with Nott and Yasha when the incident occurred. A group of thieves, most likely searching for a new place to pilfer what they could, set their sights on Caleb and Yasha. They probably thought that the human looking types would not be missed and left to their fates should something happen.

They had hurt Caleb first, throwing a pair of daggers that had sunk into his shoulder and sliced his arm. The wizard had curled around Nott instinctively, trying to protect the bundle from the danger. Yasha, seeing how close the daggers had come to hitting Nott, flew into a rage and decimated the thief that attempted to get her to surrender. Caleb tried to get out of combat and get the baby to safety.

Someone blocked his path and slashed at him again. He winced and turned away so that Nott would be away from the blow. Her large golden eyes went wide as his blood began to trickle towards her and he huffed, “Don’t you dare try to hurt her you  _ arschloch _ !” 

The mugger seemed to finally notice the babe in his arms and let out a small curse when something launched itself at him. Caleb could only look on in horror and disbelief as a goblin baby tore into flesh using tiny claws and small pointed teeth. Nott screeched loudly, the noise causing the others to turn towards her as she crawled over him and ripped anything exposed.

His shrieks grew louder as the tiny form grew larger and larger and still raked her claws over what she could find. Caleb started to cast his spells once he realized that he was still in the middle of a fight. It was quick and easily handled as Nott finally finished her opponent and got to her feet.

She looked towards Caleb with confusion in her eyes as she asked, “What the fuck is going on?” Yasha glanced over, looking surprised to see Nott returned to how she was, as Caleb replied, “Much has happened,  _ liebling _ . I‘ll tell you about it on the way home.”

At the very least, Nott seemed to enjoy the dress she had been wearing. The walk back was used to fill her in on everything. She seemed to take it in stride as she suddenly seemed to realize something and asked, “Wait, is Fjord back to normal?” Caleb shook his head ‘no’ as Yasha remarked, “Unless something happened at the house?”

Jester was overjoyed when she saw that Nott was back to normal. Beau punched Caleb’s arm and immediately apologized when she saw that he was still bleeding a little. Molly handed him a potion and addressed the group when he informed them, “Fjord still doesn’t know.” Nott chuckled as she walked upstairs and remarked, “I can tell him. I  _ need _ to see this.”

She found him in the garden with Caduceus, his black hair falling into his face as he helped water the flowers. Nott took a moment to take in the sight of a scrawny, young, Fjord before walking in. Caduceus noticed her first and informed his assistant, “We have a visitor.”

Nott was unprepared for the look of awe and utter adoration on his face as the boy settled his gaze on her and recognized who she was. A smile bigger than she had ever seen on him overtook his face as he exclaimed, “Nottie! You’re pretty! And big now! Does that mean we can play together?!”

She glanced at Caduceus, who simply remarked, “I think your baby sister is a grown up now.” Fjord’s smile dulled slightly as he asked her, “Do you not want to play with me then? I know grown-ups can’t play sometimes…” She steeled her gaze as she declared, “Of course I’ll play with you, Fjord. There’s nothing I’d rather do!”

He wrapped his arms around her and she became aware of how startlingly skinny he was. She returned the embrace as she petted his head and told him, “Let’s get you some lunch, I’m sure you haven’t had any yet.” He nodded and slid his hand in hers as they walked downstairs.

True to her word, Nott spent a lot of time with him. She showed off her abilities around him and played with him whenever he asked. If he ever seemed hesitant to ask for something, she would immediately offer whatever it seemed he wanted. 

The others also acted on what it seemed he needed. He spent a lot of time simply watching what the others did and trying to copy them. He would see Beau training and would follow along as best as he could, some part of him seeming to remember their running routine even though she would usually haul him onto her back when he got tired. 

He would follow Molly and Jester into town when they went shopping and would try to carry their bags back for them. The pair found it adorable to watch and endearing that he would try to help. Yasha would sometimes spar with Beau and Fjord would copy her movements with his own wooden sword. She would occasionally offer a correction or two and he would follow her lead.

Caleb’s spells fascinated him and he would spend hours trying to read whatever the wizard was working on. This led to the reveal that the reason Fjord wouldn’t read was that the orphanage had not deemed it necessary to teach the boy how to read. Caleb took this tidbit of information and decided to become his tutor. 

At first Fjord had resisted, but gave in when Caleb seemed offended at the idea that a child was unable to read and told him, “Reading is a pleasure when you find what truly inspires you. To find out those  _ arschlochs _ took that from you enrages me.” After that, Fjord took to his lessons like a fish to water. 

When the child needed a peaceful place to rest his racing mind, he would join Caduceus in the garden. The plants, shrines, and stories of the Wild Mother seemed to put him at ease when the words of past hurts would creep in.

It was concerning how one of their friend’s transformation had yet to be reversed but it only seemed to happen when the child wished to protect someone else in a distressing situation. So far, the transformations would happen in a matter of seconds while calling on power they needed to help someone else. 

Fjord’s turn came when they least expected it and in a way that left them stunned for hours. 

The Mighty Nein had returned to Nicodranas to visit Yussa and ask for his advice. As an added bonus, they would get to introduce tiny Fjord to Marion. Jester took much pride in the way that Fjord had looked at the Lavish Chateau. Marion also seemed to adore seeing such a small child look at her with such wide eyes.

He saw her horns and the smile she gave him and immediately asked, “Are you Jester’s mama?” She nodded and returned, “And who is the charming young man I am speaking to?” He blushed, hiding a little bit behind Nott, and answered, “I’m Fjord. Jester’s been taking care of me and my family.” 

Marion, testing the waters, lifted the boy into her lap and asked him questions about what her daughter had been up to. He did not resist the embrace, choosing to lean into it instead, and began to talk about the adventures he had been on while the others chose to enjoy the bar downstairs.

Marion had cancelled her plans for the evening so that she could spend her time with her daughter and her friends instead. Being who she was, her clients seemed to take her rescheduling very well. After all, it would not be wise to anger such an important woman. However, not all her clients reacted well. 

One in particular had demanded that she keep their appointment under threat of violence. Blud ‘escorted’ him off the premises with a warning to never return or they would summon the zhelezo. During the exchange, Fjord had clung to Yasha and tucked his head into her shoulder while the man screamed profanities. The only reason The Mighty Nein did not involve themselves was because Blud had all but shot-putted him into the street.

Later that evening, Fjord had curled himself up next to Nott - who allowed it because he had asked to sleep next to her specifically - and found it difficult to sleep. Something in his mind said something bad was going to happen. He tried to close his eyes and sleep but something kept him awake. 

Careful to not wake his sister, everyone refused to tell him otherwise, he crawled out of bed and made his way into the hallway. He felt a breeze, though he had no idea where it came from, gently caress his cheek like a matronly hand. He giggled quietly at the touch and turned towards where it guided his gaze. 

He followed his breeze, like one of the heroes from Caduceus’s stories, and crept along quietly. He felt warm air surround him as he noticed a door just slightly ajar. His little brow furrowed in confusion as he peered through the crack in the door. He saw the man from earlier hovering his blade over the sleeping body of Beau.

With an ear-piercing scream, Fjord threw himself at the man. They tumbled onto the floor as Fjord used his tiny fists to hit the man and shrieked out Beau’s name. 

Beau shot up and leaped out of her bed, Yasha following her lead. The man tried to push the boy off of him and stand but the boy kicked and scratched him, refusing to let him come near his big sister. Beau noticed the fight and rushed in to help, a little slow from being awoken so abruptly.

The intruder saw her coming, grabbed his miniature attacker by the throat, and placed a knife next to where his hand rested. Beau stopped as the man hissed, “Not another step or I’ll wring his scrawny neck!” Yasha, who had also leaped out of bed, froze in place and resisted letting out the growl in her throat.

The rest of The Nein and Marion had found their way to the commotion. Eyes narrowed as the man clutched the child close to his chest and warned, “Any moves and I’ll slit his throat!” Fjord growled, startling the man and causing his grip to tighten.

Fjord struggled as he spat something in Orcish that did _ not _ sound child appropriate. The knife pressed a little harder against the child’s throat as he ordered, “Stop moving you little beast!” Fjord stopped moving but there was a blaze in his eyes that refused to go out as Marion pleaded, “Please, let the boy go, Morgan. This isn’t the way to get what you want.” 

Morgan sneered at her as he answered, “You abandoned me for  _ them _ . Is it because this brat is yours? All I have to do is remove the distraction so that we can be together!” Caleb’s eyes turned icy as he warned the man, “If you hurt even a  _ single _ hair on his head, we will destroy you.” Beau gave him the most intimidating smile she could and told him, “He’s not  _ hers _ , he’s  _ ours _ . Let him go or I’ll beat your ass so hard your descendants will feel it.”

While Morgan was distracted by the group, Nott managed to level her crossbow at his knife hand and loosed the bolt. It hit and he dropped the knife and gave Fjord enough room to get away. The boy pulled away, growled, and shouted, “ _ Eldritch Blast _ !” Two bolts of vibrant green energy flew from his hands and slammed into his opponent. He winced and attempted to fire back but Beau began to pummel him, her fists pounding on his face. 

Morgan flipped his dagger and attempted to stab her, succeeding once and missing the second time. Yasha growled and tried to grab him but left herself open to being stabbed as well and he aimed for Molly, who was trying to cast a spell. 

As the knife pierced the tiefling’s shoulder, a large, green, vine slammed into him and knocked him away. Eyes went to the source to see Fjord,  _ glowing _ medallion in hand, surrounded by vines creeping in from the balcony. His eyes were determined as he held the symbol towards the attacker and screamed, “No one touches  _ my family, you fucking asshole! _ ” 

A blinding light shot from the symbol and pierced through the man, within one could almost see a matronly face with a furious expression. The light encompassed the room,blinding everyone and hiding the form of Fjord for a moment. When the light faded, there stood Fjord fully grown and glaring at the dust that was swept out of the room by a warm breeze.

The Mighty Nein blinked at the sight of their friend before Jester cried, “Fjord’s back!” The group rushed forward and piled on him, falling to the floor from the sudden group hug. 

Beau wrapped her arms around his neck and punched his arm as she told him, “Don’t you ever fucking do that again! Gods that scared the shit out of me!” Jester was laying on top of his chest and telling him, “You looked so cool! Oh, Fjord, I’m so glad you’re alright. Yasha was off to the side with Caduceus trying to see his neck to check if the dagger had cut too deep. Caleb was giving him a severe look and exclaimed, “ _ Scheiße _ ! I cannot believe you were so reckless!  _ Mein Gott _ , you could have been killed!” Molly was smiling as he wrapped himself around Fjord’s arm and told him, “That was incredible darling! You saved us!”

Overwhelmed by the attention and scolding, Fjord could only lay there while they bombarded him with affection. Eventually they let him up and he managed to ask, “Did I miss something? What happened?” Marion stepped forward and apologized, “I’m so sorry this happened but I’m glad that this returned you to us.” He looked confused and taken aback by all the attention as he asked, “What the fuck is going on?” Molly smirked as Caduceus told him, “It’s a long story but it’s entertaining.”


End file.
